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Sinelnikoff was the first director of the now world-famous Cirque du Soleil, it's first year in 1984. His experience in production and low-budget theatre was invaluable and helped formed the foundation for it's huge success. It was while working with the Cirque du Soleil that he and Luc Campeau, who eventually set him on the path to The Lost World, first worked together.
"Luc was just starting in film production at the time, and I knew him to be a super-efficient and responsible individual. I persuaded the Cirque people to hire him as my assistant, and he was my right hand all the time, enabling me as director to have the greatest freedom a director can have - to go through the whole process with nothing in my hands....He has functioned as a production manager on many international films. When I returned from Toronto to take up residence again in Montreal, he suggested me for the role of Summerlee to Bob Keen, director of the 1988 production starring Patrick Bergin."*
The first time Sinelnikoff portrayed Summerlee, in the 1988 movie, the character was basically the same sweet, dignified gentleman we know and love from the Telescene version. The earlier Summerlee was actually a paleontologist, and not a botanist. When Sinelnikoff auditioned for the Telescene pilot to be filmed in Australia, he was asked by the person running the audition to be "a bit of a bad guy". One always does what one is asked at audtions, so he acquiesced, but requested a separate "take" to play Summerlee a little nicer ~ and we know the result of that wise request!
"I'm glad I did, as it was the friendly quality that got me the role. But I was so sure that they weren't interested (especially since I was an hour late for the audition!) that I went away and forgot about it, only to have my agent phone me 5 weeks later and tell me that I was going to Australia - in one week! There was a mad scramble for work visas, passport, medical, travel arrangements, organizing supervision of my apartment in my absence, etc., but I made the plane on time, and started the 2-hour pilot which filmed on the Gold Coast near Brisbane in September and October of 1988. Then there was a long wait until the series was confirmed around March, 1999, and then I took off again, this time for 7 months."*
The character of Summerlee brought much to the plateau ~ he was a foil to Challenger, his medical knowledge was invaluable, he was a stable influence and father figure to the younger members of the group, particularly the female characters. Both Veronica and Marguerite are orphans, and both looked to Summerlee to fill that void ~ I believe this is one reason why the reactions to Summerlee's loss in the second season premiere seemed so ludicrous. At the very least, Marguerite and Veronica should have been slightly more emotional about the presumed death of Summerlee, given his position in their lives. There was more emotion shown in last season's cliffhanger to the possibility of Summerlee being killed than this season to the almost certainty of it! When asked what he would do given "free rein" over The Lost World's future, Mr. Sinelnikoff said that he would return the plateau and its inhabitants to something more closely resembling those in the original work by Sir Conan Arthur Doyle, although he would of course keep the new characters of Veronica and Marguerite. He also said that, if asked, he would return to the role.
Mr. Sinelnikoff had nothing but good things to say about his co-stars, and said that the group was very close, almost like a family while on location. He got to know David Orth better than the other members of the cast because the production company put them in the same building, being fellow Canadians. They would frequently share a late night drink or cup of tea (not too late as there were frequent 3 a.m. calls). The Australians in the cast ~ Rachel Blakely, Peter MacCauley and Will Snow ~ had homes and families near enough to at least visit on weekends, so it seems somewhat natural that the North Americans would socialize together more. He also bonded with MacCauley, who plays Challenger, Summerlee's sometime verbal sparring partner.
"Peter is a gruff, kindly person, with a vast amount of professional experience behind him in stage, film and TV work. Quite early in the game we found common ground in exchanging banter and back-chat - the kind of sarcasm that Challenger and Summerlee in the novel used to exchange, although not nearly so erudite! When David Orth joined us, he heard Peter and me arguing and carrying on, and was quite nervous as he thought we were really quarreling ... Actually we became very good friends, and I also met his wife, Catherine Wilkin, who is one of Australia's most respected actresses (you can see her in Richard Franklin's "Brilliant Lies"). They're an easy-going, unassuming couple who are very good company."*
While the location shooting was difficult, due primarily to, rough terrain, ultra-long hours - 14 hour days on set were quite common - the weather, insects, etc. the person whom Sinelnikoff thought had the worst time of it was O'Dell, due to her non-protective costume: her legs were almost bare and she had to a lot of running.
"Jen [was] just a bit nervous at first as anyone would be working with almost no foot and leg cover. [Jennifer is] a good sport and certainly performed all her scenes like a trouper [and] is indeed very intelligent and insightful. ...One of her most endearing traits was the warm and radiant smile one got in the morning, even where she was called before everyone else and was sitting in make-up with her hair in curlers. She's very kind and considerate: " ... working with her was no problem, she was always focused and energetic."*
Anyone who is a fan of the show is now aware that Professor Arthur Summerlee has been lost, possibly killed, although his body has not been found. What some people may not know is that many fans of the show were aware that Mr. Sinelnikoff was not called back to film the second season as early as April 2000. This fact had an immediate effect, and the movement to bring the character of Professor Arthur Summerlee, as portrayed by Michael Sinelnikoff, was born. I was made aware of this several months ago, and started the Save Summerlee petition. The primary reason given for the exclusion of Mr. Sinelnikoff and Summerlee is money woes, but in my opinion, and this view is shared by many, this action will prove to be extremely near-sighted. Mr. Sinelnikoff has been extremely gracious about an action on his employers' part that most people would consider to be rude, unprofessional, and uncalled for behavior, although I'm sure he'd would agree that this was, to be blunt, a foolish, knee-jerk response, with no thought to longevity of the series.
This loss of a Lost World character has provided an excuse for its production team (including TimeWarner affiliate New Line Television) to use one storyline per episode instead of two (one major, one minor). This may also be another cost-cutting action, but it's very difficult on the remaining actors, who now need to be in more scenes and are filming on a tight schedule, in a tropical environment ~ in fact, production for this season is due to wrap in March, which is Australia's hottest time of year. If The Lost World does manage to get to a third season, which I truly hope it does, I can only hope that the powers that be choose to include Michael Sinelnikoff, and bring back Summerlee. Michael Sinelnikoff is for all intents and purposes, Arthur Summerlee, and to quote Peter MacCauley, upon his first sight of Sinelnikoff as Summerlee at a costume fitting, "Ah, perfect!" We think he is, too. Please bring him back!
*excerpt from interview with Steve Faust
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